The Trades Union Congress (TUC) and the Public Utility Workers’ Union of Ghana (PUWU) maintain that the sharp rise in revenue at the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) proves the utility can be revitalized without privatization—provided workers are adequately supported and management is held to clear, enforceable targets.
Speaking at a press briefing on the proposed privatization, jointly organized by PUWU and the TUC, TUC General Secretary Joshua Ansah highlighted the outcomes of a six‑month turnaround programme carried out between July and December 2025.
Figures released by the unions show ECG’s average monthly revenue surged from roughly GH¢900 million to about GH¢1.7 billion, marking an increase of nearly 90 percent within half a year.
According to the unions, the results demonstrate that revenue leakages can be curtailed and efficiency enhanced through internal reforms rather than ceding control to private operators. They noted that the gains have already yielded sector‑wide benefits, including more consistent payments to power producers and greater stability in electricity supply—reducing the recurring threats by Independent Power Producers to shut down plants over unpaid arrears.
The turnaround, they explained, was achieved through a collaborative framework involving staff, management, and the Ministry of Energy and Green Transition, with revenue mobilization as the central focus. They emphasized that the dedication and professionalism of ECG workers were pivotal to the progress, insisting that similar outcomes could be sustained if government strengthens structural support and enforces accountability at the managerial level.
The unions cautioned that renewed efforts to introduce private operators disregard recent achievements and risk dismantling a system that is beginning to deliver. They questioned why government would consider offering guarantees, incentives, and policy stability to private concessionaires while hesitating to extend the same support to ECG under public ownership.
They also pointed to improvements at the Northern Electricity Distribution Company (NEDCo), where losses have been cut by about eight percentage points over the past year, as further evidence that performance improves when workers are empowered and targets are clearly defined.
Calling for an immediate halt to all privatization processes, the TUC and PUWU urged government to extend the current turnaround programme with sharper deliverables for management and stronger oversight from regulators.
They concluded that ECG’s recent revenue performance shows the utility is far from irreparable and, with the right support systems, can provide reliable and affordable electricity without being handed over to private interests.
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